County to present Hazard Mitigation Plan update

by Melissa Blosser, Douglas County Community Relations

Douglas County Emergency Management, provided by the East Fork Fire and Paramedic Districts, will be hosting two public presentations on the Douglas County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. The first meeting will be held on Monday, July 29 at the East Fork Fire and Paramedic District Office, 1694 County Rd, Minden and will begin at 7 p.m. The second public presentation will be held at the Tahoe Douglas Fire Station 3 at 193 Elks Point Rd, Zephyr Cove on August 1, 2013 and will begin at 7 p.m.

District Fire Chief and Douglas County Emergency Manager, Tod Carlini, is encouraging the public to attend.

“The Hazard Mitigation Planning Update process is yet one more way that we hope to make Douglas County a more disaster resilient community,” he said.

Hazard Mitigation is any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards. Mitigation activities may be implemented prior to, during, or after an incident. Hazard mitigation is most effective when based on an inclusive, comprehensive, long-term plan that is developed before a disaster occurs. The top five hazards identified in the Douglas County Plan include flooding, earthquakes, wild land fires, drought, and severe weather events.

Several individuals with subject matter expertise have been reviewing and updated specific sections of the current plan. The public presentations will allow attendees an opportunity to provide comment on the proposed updates and to better understand the Hazard Mitigation Planning Process.

Following the public presentation process and a review by the Douglas County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), the plan will be prepared in a final form and sent to the Nevada Department of Emergency Management, followed by a review by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Once approved by FEMA, the plan will be presented to the Douglas County Board of Commissioners for adoption, tentatively at the October 17, 2013 Board meeting. Individuals with questions regarding this plan update